Henry Boot Construction has recently promoted Craig Finn to the position of Director. In this newly created position he will be responsible for maintaining the business’ pipeline of sustainable projects and leading on its evolution.
An engineering graduate of The University of Aberdeen, Craig has 27 years of construction experience across the private and public sectors. His impressive portfolio spans highways infrastructure and maintenance, civil engineering, building and refurbishment.
Craig joined the company in 2015 as Bid Manager, where he was responsible for creating new work-winning strategies through a high-performing pre-construction team across of a diverse range of projects.
During this time, Craig has become a leading voice and advocate for the government’s Construction Playbook and sustainability, not only on the company’s projects, but across the whole construction sector.
His natural step up to Director level now allows him to go one step further – promoting modern partnerships and collaborations with procuring authorities to drive forward the implementation of new sustainable technologies.
With the sector experiencing huge amounts of change – born out of ever-evolving technologies, net-zero-carbon ambitions, Brexit, and of course, Covid-19, Craig is encouraging customers to take a more efficient and joined-up approach to working, by bringing development teams, architects, supply chain and construction contractors together at the very early stages of a project lifecycle.
“At Henry Boot Construction, we’ve always been able to adapt to market conditions. We take well-informed decisions and because we are not a behemoth, we can remain flexible and nimble. That’s one of the reasons we’ve been successful for 136 years,” explains Craig.
“Over the last five years the delivery model has adapted. It’s happened naturally as new technologies evolve but it’s becoming more and more evident that our customers need us to be involved from very early in the project timeline. Significant social value and net-zero-carbon ambitions can’t simply be bolted on, or retro-fitted, to a development project.
So, a large part of my new role will be to demystify some of the key sector challenges and demonstrate that true collaboration can be both effective and transformational.”
Tony Shaw, Managing Director said: “I am pleased to welcome Craig to the board of Directors. He has made a significant impact in his time with us so far and in this new position he will be able to help drive the business forward. Craig supports and truly understands the industry’s agenda to modernise and create a sustainable future, and we are extremely confident he will position us and our customers at the forefront of this new era.”
Homegrown businesses with a client-base that includes Olly Murs and TV presenter Rylan Clark are flying the flag for an economically strong Derbyshire by teaming up.
MacMartin, a marketing agency in Church Broughton set up by Derbyshire-born sisters Anna Hutton and Claire MacDonald, has announced it is pairing up with ‘AV IT Media, a video and photography company based at the Derwent Business Centre in Clarke Street, which has worked with celebrities such as Olly Murs and TV presenter Rylan Clark, as well as big-name organisations including East Midlands Trains and Derby County Football Club.
The partnership means that MacMartin and ‘AV IT will together be able to offer their clients a full marketing service featuring photos and videography put together by some of Derbyshire’s hottest creative talents.
MacMartin and ‘AV IT were able to team up thanks to forging a connection through the local business community. Both are bondholders of Marketing Derby.
Anna Hutton, marketing director at MacMartin, said: “I’m so excited to have found such a great synergy between ourselves and ‘AV IT. It means we can offer a full-blown marketing service to our clients of a standard that has not previously been reached.
“By doing this we’ll be able to create the ultimate marketing experience, from people that are at the top of their game. We’ve joined up with ‘AV IT to offer our clients something that’s above and beyond.”
Ash Stanley, who founded ‘AV IT with Mark Averill in 2018, said: “We’re beyond excited to be working with MacMartin. Meeting the MacMartin team is the best thing that could have happened to us and we’re excited to be shooting videos and pictures to help all our clients reach the next level.
“With Derby bidding to become City of Culture in 2025 it’s great to fly the flag for this great city and show the world what happens when home-grown creatives get together.”
MacMartin, which celebrates its fifth birthday in 2022, has recently been enjoying a period of expansion by taking on new office space and staff to meet its growing customer base. The company achieved growth during the Covid period, as businesses increasingly relied on a strong digital presence to stay afloat. MacMartin is also in the running to be named best small rural business in the UK at the Amazon-backed Rural Business Awards, after being crowned a regional finalist in 2021.
‘AV IT media, based at Derwent Business Centre, has worked with a highly varied customer base including Carmex lip balm, Bloor Homes, Land Rover, Alton Towers and Love Island star Olivia Bowen. True to their Derby roots, the team of photographers and videographers have also run campaigns for Derby County Football Club, and the Derby Market Place launch, as well as being asked by Derby City Council, The Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter to produce a Welcome Back to Derby video to showcase all that is best about the city.
Photos show: MacMartin AV IT directors (sitting down), left to right: Anna Hutton, marketing director of MacMartin, Ash Stanley, co-founder of ‘AV IT Media, Jenny Hudson, business office manager at ‘AV IT Media, Claire MacDonald, MacMartin design director, and Mark Averill, co-founder of ‘AV IT Media
Eight in ten (87%) mid-sized businesses in the Midlands experienced fraud in 2021, with more than a third (39%) of companies reporting an increase on the previous year, according to a new survey from accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP.
BDO’s Fraud Survey – which monitored fraud trends at 500 mid-sized UK firms throughout 2021 – found that more than a third (37%) of firms suffered security breaches through cyber-attacks over the last 12 months. While nearly a third (32%) of frauds were externally generated, 29% were committed against companies by their own employees, with more than quarter (26%) involving collusion between internal and external individuals.
The ongoing impacts of the pandemic and associated lockdowns have exacerbated the risk of being targeted by fraudsters, with many citing the shift to remote working as a driving factor. Of those surveyed, nine in ten (92%) business owners and directors in the region think their company is more exposed to fraud since 2020, while almost a quarter (21%) believe their exposure has “significantly” increased. The overwhelming majority (87%) said fraud risks at their business have increased as a direct result of home working.
With millions of employees continuing to work from home – often without access to workplace IT support – the threat posed by scammers remains heightened. However, businesses with employees working on-site also remain vulnerable, with considerably more than half (67%) of the firms impacted by fraud reporting that their employees had predominantly operated from the office or work premises over the last 12 months.
Despite the rising number of fraud cases being reported by mid-sized firms, only a third (34%) of the businesses surveyed have implemented fraud awareness training programmes for their employees over the last year, and approximately a quarter (24%) of Midlands businesses don’t have a fraud response plan in place.
Looking forward, nearly three quarters (71%) of company owners and directors in the Midlands are concerned about their business being targeted by fraudsters over the next 12 months – with 32% stating they are “very concerned.” However, 87% said resource constraints as a result of COVID-19 disruption will limit their investment in fraud detection and prevention tools over the coming year.
Commenting on the findings, Sat Plaha, partner and head of forensic services in the Midlands, said: “There’s no denying that fraud is big business and affects everyone, transcending sectors and regions, and ranging from the opportunistic to the highly organised. Despite costing the UK billions of pounds each year, it remains under reported, under investigated and under prioritised.
“There’s little doubt that the pandemic has accelerated trends being seen across the fraud sector, with the prominence of agile working adding a layer of complexity to the process of identifying and defending against cyber-attacks. As a result, this has magnified the risk for businesses. The changing tactics being adopted by fraudsters, and the growing propensity for them to target the digital space, have also outpaced the protections being implemented by many firms.
“As organisations re-evaluate their hybrid working models for the year ahead, they should pay particular attention to robust internal controls, including strengthening their fraud risk management programmes to lessen their exposure to economic crime.”
A new enterprise offering nutritionally balanced pre-prepared meals for key workers and others has been launched with the support of experts at the Food Innovation Centre at the University of Nottingham.
Long Eaton-based Kitchen Prep UK specialises in chef-cooked ready meals for people who want to eat healthily but are time poor or need the convenience of pre-prepared frozen options that take just minutes to cook in the microwave.
The inspiration for the lockdown enterprise came after founders Emily Willis and Luke Skidmore decided they wanted to support key workers like doctors, nurses and police officers and make it easier for them to source and eat healthy ready meals.
The new business has been supported by experts at the Food Innovation Centre at the University of Nottingham, who have given free advice on labelling, food hygiene training and other aspects of the enterprise.
Emily, from Mansfield Woodhouse, who, until recently, was a key worker herself working as the deputy manager of a care home, said: “We all saw images during the pandemic of health workers who would come off shift and couldn’t find any fresh fruit or vegetables to buy. I have friends who are police officers and at night they are having chips and kebabs from fast food outlets because they can’t find anywhere open at that time that is selling healthy meals. I was also coming home after a busy day as a key worker and struggling to find time to cook healthy nutritional meals.”
Luke had been working in concierge before the pandemic hit, organising travel and hospitality packages to places like Monaco and Marbella. After exploring various career-change options he decided to move into the food service sector. Between them, Luke and Emily hit on the idea of creating nutritionally balanced frozen pre-prepared meals and Kitchen Prep UK was born.
The meals, which have been developed by nutritionist Nicole Mann, of NM Nutrition, are cooked by a chef at the couple’s unit in New Tythe Street, Long Eaton. They include meat, fish and plant-based options.
Kitchen Prep UK currently sells dishes online and at P.E.C.S. Fitness in Long Eaton, run by Stephen Edwards and Tracy Kidsley. Stephen, who is Luke’s father, uses the nutritionally balanced meals, along with exercise, to help control his diabetes.
Luke and Emily hope that in the future, the ready meals will be available via display units in key locations such as hospitals, police stations, gyms and other places – so staff and customers can enjoy their gourmet healthy pre-prepared meals on site or for take away.
Luke, who lives in Long Eaton, said: “We use local produce and local premises. We get the meat and veg delivered in the morning, our professional chef batch cooks the dishes, which are then blast-chilled and frozen all on the same day – retaining their nutrients. All our customers need to do is heat their meals in a microwave straight from frozen. There’s no piercing the lid or stirring half way through. It’s really simple.
“It was the needs of key workers that originally inspired us, but we can see that there are many people who would benefit from our Kitchen Prep UK nutritionally balanced meals, such as new mums, elderly people living on their own, busy professionals, gym goers…basically anyone who is trying to look after themselves.
“The help and advice we have had from the Food Innovation Centre has been brilliant – it’s really given us a great start.”
The Food Innovation Centre, based at the Bioenergy and Brewing Science building at the University of Nottingham’s Sutton Bonington campus, offers free support to eligible small and medium-sized food and drink manufacturers in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire under the Driving Research and Innovation project – a three-year project that runs until the end of December 2022. Part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) via the D2N2 LEP, the project is run by the Food Innovation Centre at the University of Nottingham School of Biosciences, in conjunction with the Chemistry Innovation Laboratory in the School of Chemistry and Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and in association with the Midlands Engine. It is a unique collaboration project that provides free specialist innovation support to small and medium-sized businesses.
Richard Worrall, Head of the Food Innovation Centre said: “The Coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns have created a real spirit of entrepreneurialism, especially in the food and drink sector and we were very pleased to help Luke and Emily in the early days of Kitchen Prep UK. We wish them well in their venture together.”
An intensive series of free online workshops aimed at helping people across Derby and Derbyshire to start their own business begins next week.
The D2 Business Starter Winter Boot Camp is delivered in five consecutive days and aims to give would-be entrepreneurs all the knowledge and skills they need to take a business idea to the next stage. Sessions will run every day from Monday 31 January to Friday 4 February at 4pm to 6pm.
The Boot Camp is part of the D2 Business Starter Programme, which was launched to help people gain knowledge and skills to develop their ideas into commercially viable businesses. Workshops include subjects such as an introduction to self-employment, marketing, business planning, book-keeping and social media.
The programme is funded by Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council and delivered by East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire).
So far, it has supported more than 1,000 people and helped to create more than 190 new businesses and 220 new jobs. More than 10,000 hours of free support have been provided to those taking part.
Cllr Steve Hassall, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Decarbonisation & Strategic Planning & Transport at Derby City Council, said: “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and bring so much variety to an area. We are proud to fund this scheme which supports and mentors the entrepreneurs of the future and encourages business ideas that will create a legacy of economic growth across Derby and the surrounding area.”
Paul Stuart, the Chamber’s Head of Enterprise, said: “The D2 Business Starter Programme has been a huge success since launching in 2017 and has helped many people across Derby and Derbyshire to take the leap into self-employment and start their own businesses.
“We’re delighted to be able to continue to offer this free support to help even more people follow their dreams and make their business ideas a reality. There are no costs to take part. The only eligibility criteria are that people have a Derby or Derbyshire postcode and want to start a business.”
Derby-based CRZyBest, a maker of eco-friendly bespoke jewellery, gifts and accessories, was one of the first businesses supported by the programme.
Its founder, Claire Zwozny-Bestwick, enrolled on the programme to learn more about the fundamentals of starting a business, finance, sales and marketing, along with setting short and long-term objectives and developing and refining a business plan.
Within a year, she had moved the business full-time into a purpose-built workshop in her garden, developed her website and social media and diversified her product offering to suit a more online audience.
Claire said: “The support I received was really useful in giving me the confidence and the skills to follow my dream of setting up in business. It also provided a vital support network and has enabled me to keep accessing advice and support to continue to grow the business.”
Boris Johnson may be urging a return to the office, but it seems both bosses and workers are expecting working from home to remain part of our regular working routine.
Economists at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) are carrying out regular surveys of workers across the Midlands to build up a picture of how people’s relationship with work is changing.
The poll asks hundreds of people questions such as whether their work pattern is changing and if so, how – and how they feel about it. The first survey was done in October, and the second is being carried out next month (February).
Key findings include:
The average worker currently spends 60% of their time working from home
Workers expect to spend 40-50% of their time working from home post pandemic compared to 10-20% before the pandemic
The push to work from home appears to be driven more by employers than employees, possibly because of cost savings
People love the lack of commuting time, but miss socialising most
Professor Edward Cartwright, of DMU’s Institute of Applied Economics and Social Value, said: “There’s a lot of uncertainty over whether we will revert back to how things were before, or whether there really has been a step change.
“Everything we are seeing suggested it’s a big step change. The main headline result was that people expect to be working from home on some level forever. And what’s surprising is that this is largely being driven by the businesses, not the staff, as they see how they can cut costs.”
Prior to the pandemic, the average time spent working from home was a day a week. During the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions that became four days. In October that had shifted to 60% of the time working from home and 40% in the workplace.
Professor Cartwright added: “Our initial survey found that people expect it to level out at around 45%, and that will be permanent. However, people are not always the best at predicting the future so we want to track whether these assumptions are correct.
“These findings are all in line with other surveys that have been carried out on smaller scale in the East Midlands and nationally. However, what’s surprising is that these changes to working from home is being driven by the business rather than staff.
“Working from home is polarising – some people love it and others hate it. The most consistent negative is the lack of social interaction. Not many people have said the lack of good wifi for example, they miss their work friendships and seeing people in person.”
There are some signs of companies shifting into smaller workspaces, and reducing expensive offices as staff would not all be in the office at the same time.
“Clearly this also has implications for the city centre as businesses move to smaller premises, fewer people working in the city centre means lack of footfall which has knock on effects for retail,” added Professor Cartwright.
Small businesses in Northamptonshire can kickstart their business development plans with a new raft of support from the University of Northampton.
The Knowledge Exchange for Better Business Projects will see up to 100 businesses from across the county receive thousands of pounds worth of bespoke support to boost their bottom line.
The projects are open to businesses with fewer than 50 employees, which will offer them the opportunity to tap into the unique support package, which includes expert academic and business advice from the University of Northampton, training, peer networking, virtual assistants, fully funded internships, mentoring, coaching, and more, all designed to improve a business’s competitiveness and innovation capabilities.
Wray Irwin, Director of Enterprise and Employability at the University of Northampton, said: “You could be looking to stabilise your business and scale up your operations, enhance a professional function within your family-owned business, such as finance or digital marketing, or perhaps evaluate and set the direction to enhance the way your business embraces environmental and sustainable business practices.
“This programme brings students, businesses, and academics together to exchange expertise and resources to help make Northamptonshire a great place to start, build and grow a business.
“We have a huge breadth of expertise here at the University, through this proactive knowledge exchange and support we can contribute economic, social, cultural, and environmental benefits to the people of Northamptonshire.”
The Knowledge Exchange for Better Business projects are funded by the UK Government Community Renewal Fund through North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire Councils. Project partners include The Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes Chamber of Commerce, The Mallows Company, Alchemy Virtual Assistance and the Federation of Small Businesses.
M-EC, the technical development consultants, has made a trio of appointments at its Leicestershire head office. The three new hires will take up roles in its Acoustic Air, Civil Engineering and Structures departments.
M-EC welcomes associate structural engineer, Lance Poole to its Structures department. Lance’s broad-based engineering experience spans more than 40 years, both in the United Kingdom and South Africa.
Prior to joining M-EC, Lance worked with consulting engineering firms and design/build contractors on many new build and refurbishment projects for industrial, commercial, educational and domestic buildings. To date he has mainly worked as the lead structural engineer and managed design teams for larger projects.
Lance brings broad built environment expertise to M-EC and a wealth of experience in structural steelwork, in-situ and pre-cast reinforced concrete, masonry and timber structures. He also has experience in the design of temporary works/heavy lifting schemes and the design of building facades formed in stone, masonry and pre-cast concrete. In his free time, he is a big music fan and enjoys singing and playing the guitar. Moving to the East Midlands, he is keen on taking up walking too.
Adam Walker
Acoustic consultant, Adam Walker, joins M-EC’s Acoustic Air department from his previous role as an acoustics engineer at a global engineering consultancy, where he worked on a variety of projects. With a degree in Music Technology from De Montfort University, before moving into engineering, Adam spent five years travelling the world as an audio systems engineer with a range of different bands. A keen triathlete, Adam has already joined the M-EC team in a recent 5K run.
Civil engineering technician, James Brant, comes to M-EC with six years infrastructure and design experience across a number of civil technician and engineering roles. James joins M-EC’s Civil Engineering department as a specialist in works/private drainage design.
James Brant
Alex Bennett, director of M-EC, said: “It is an exciting time at M-EC and we are really pleased to welcome three new team members to further strengthen our civil and structural engineering and acoustics offer.
“Lance Poole brings a wealth of global expertise from large international projects and has a good eye for cost effective buildable details in all structural materials. Adam Walker joins us with a varied career to date and innovative ideas for the air acoustic team and James Brant has a specialism in drainage design which will also boost our civils team. We look forward to what the future holds.”
Overcoming skills shortages and driving up productivity can help East Midlands businesses bounce back from Covid and build a sustainable and prosperous future, according to the CBI’s new regional chair.
Dr Nik Kotecha OBE – founder and chairman of Morningside Pharmaceuticals in Leicestershire – has taken over as chair of the CBI East Midlands Regional Council. He succeeds Darren Wilson of LKAB Minerals in Derbyshire, who has held the position for the past two years.
Dr Kotecha has long been active in public service at both national and regional level. He is a Department of International Trade Export Champion and sits on the Department’s SME Trade Policy Advisory Group.
He is also part of the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership, the Midlands Engine Council & Health Boards and co-chair of the Loughborough Town Deal Board.
Dr Kotecha has won a number of prestigious business awards, including being named a 2021 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Regional Champion for Excellence in Sustainability and making LDC’s 2021 list of the UK’s Most Ambitious Business Leaders, as featured in the Times. In 2017, he was awarded an OBE for services to entrepreneurship, innovation in pharmaceutical services and philanthropy. He was also named the national Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2019 National Business Awards.
He is stepping into the role at a difficult time, but believes the East Midlands has plenty of strengths to call upon which can help businesses navigate current hardships and emerge stronger in the future.
Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, chair of the CBI East Midlands Regional Council, said: “I am thrilled to be taking over as chair of the East Midlands CBI Regional Council at what is a challenging yet potentially exciting time for business.
“The CBI has some bold ambitions designed to grow prosperity and opportunity throughout the East Midlands economy, as we look to rebuild from the pandemic, nurture new cross-sector collaborations and move towards a low-carbon future.
“Doing so will take a concerted effort from Government, education and enterprise. Leaders must foster a culture of growth by investing in the infrastructure, people and skills this region needs to combat pockets of deprivation and raise aspirations and attainment.
“If we get the key decisions right at this pivotal time, I am confident there is a bright future in store for East Midlands businesses. I look forward to playing my part in this new role alongside regional CBI colleagues.”
Richard Blackmore, CBI Midlands director, said: “I am delighted to welcome Nik to the role of regional chair, and would also like to place on record my thanks to Darren for his huge contribution to the region during the challenges of the past two years.
“Nik brings a wealth of knowledge of the region and insight into the issues that matter to businesses. His expertise will be a major asset for businesses and for the CBI as we look to work towards a net-zero future and implement the strategies for growth set out in our Seize The Moment economic vision.”
Metal and waste recycling specialist, Ward, has invested in a Mantsinen 70 hydraulic crane for its metal processing site at Redcar Bulk Terminal, to increase its export handling capacity for ferrous metals.
The purchase of the brand-new diesel powered Mantsinen 70 is the largest single investment in material handling equipment Ward has made to date at over €800,000. The heavy-duty machine, developed with state-of-the-art technology has a maximum reach of 24 metres and weighs 95 tonnes. It can lift up to 15 tonnes of material in each movement.
Thomas Ward, commercial director at Ward, said: “This is the largest piece of equipment in our business to date for bulk handling of scrap metal. The new Mantsinen 70 hydraulic crane is more energy efficient, helping to reduce both our handling costs and CO2 emissions per tonne at our Redcar site. It also has the benefit of helping to increase loading speeds, which is important factor when loading for our end users.”
The Midlands-based business, with sites nationwide, purchased the brand new Mantsinen 70 through Cooper Handling, the exclusive UK distributor of Mantsinen hydraulic cranes, in early 2021 and took delivery in December.
Martin Vanstone-Dale, manager of sales & rental MHE at Cooper Handling, said: “The concept of hydraulic cranes is all based around cycle times and productivity, which makes it ideal for Ward. They offer pinpoint accuracy and are more wind resistant thus aiding port operations and increasing efficiency. With added safety features and flexible attachments, we’re pleased to have been able to support Ward in acquiring an energy efficient option for its metal processing operations.”
As part of The Ward Way sustainability strategy to 2030, the Ward team has also opted for the HybriLift® energy saving system. This optional extra provides greater load movement while using less energy, further demonstrating Ward’s ongoing commitment to carbon reduction and lowering energy consumption, increasing efficiency by up to 35 per cent.
With three fixed cabin positions or two different cabin elevators, the Mantsinen 70 ensures stability and safety in the most challenging environments. It’s quick coupling, means the change of attachment can be made in a few minutes, reducing operational downtime.
The multi-award winning, independent fourth generation family business has invested significantly over the last few years with a new head office in Ilkeston, ongoing upgrades to its transport facilities and improvements to its fleet. It has opened a rail terminal and another new deep sea port facility in Redcar in July 2021. This further expands its metal recycling capabilities and follows the deep-sea port development at Immingham in 2018.
For more information on Ward’s metal recycling and waste management capabilities visit www.ward.com.
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